Dwarf minke whales were only discovered in August 1981, so there’s still stacks to learn about them. We do know that each year they mysteriously appear on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, stay about a month, and then totally disappear again. We also know that they are incredibly curious, playful and actively seek out human contact.

As a marine biologist studying the dwarf minke, Suzanne Hillcoat’s spent hundreds of hours in the water with these little giants to research their behaviour, and she’s had countless super-close encounters with them. In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, Suzanne reflects on some of her most memorable interactions with these sweet cetaceans.

(Spoiler alert: If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a whale flirt with you, you won’t want to miss this!)